Structure (Post#2) : British Columbia (BC) Legislature Building
BC Legislature Building is one of the significant structure that are noticeable within Victoria in Vancouver Island. This is the building where Members of Legislative Assembly to create, review and debate whether they pass or reject the law. From the shore, this building seems like a castle because of the architecture structure design that it has that is truly admiring to whoever got a chance to see this building. I never got a chance to enter this building as I only spent one day in Victoria during my 5 days visit in British Columbia province in Canada last June 2008.
Name Of The Place (Post#16): Royal British Columbia Museum
This was the second royal museum that I visited in Canada. Without checking the net it seems that Canada has one royal museum on its provinces. The first royal museum I saw was in Alberta province. Photo captured last June 2008. I like museum since I like knowing and discovering something, the only challenge is time because for me, standard time to spend to a museum is from half a day to one full day, but even myself saddened if the museum is part of a tour because it means I had limited time to see and learn more, because tour is always time bounded.
Chromatic Outlook (Post#14) : Race Rocks Lighthouse
Photo above was the Race Rocks Lighthouse that I saw while I was still in whale watching adventure when I visited Victoria City in British Columbia province of Canada. As per Wikipedia, this lighthouse is just one of the lighthouse that was built on the west coast of Canada between 1859 to 1860 which is quite a historical lighthouse because of its age. Photo captured last June 2008.
View At My Window (Post#10) : Some British Columbia Islands
From Vancouver, I took a sea float plane to Victoria City. The photo above was part of photos that I took while we were up in the air. Snapshot taken last June 2008. I tried my best to name all the islands as I can (please bear with me if in case I named some incorrectly).
I had a chance to visit Victoria City, a capital city of British Columbia province in Canada last June 2008. When I arrived at the inner harbour of this lovely city, it was the first place that I saw with fantastic surroundings on its harbour. For me, it kind of romantic place for travelers.
I captured the photo above when I had a chance to travel Vancouver Island last June 2008. This garden is popular place to visit together with Victoria City tour which is capital city of British Columbia province in Canada. The said garden is located at Brentwood Bay, BC.
The chance that I got to be able to visit some parts of British Columbia was not an ordinary chance. When I got a single entry visa to Canada, I knew that it was a one-time chance to see this huge country at North America. After grabbing all my opportunity to see Alberta, the province of Edmonton where I was assigned for few weeks of work and training, I tried my best to get the opportunity to see British Columbia as well.
I remembered that it was less than two weeks before I left Canada to go back to my country, I requested my boss if I can fly earlier to Vancouver since it was the same route when I fly back on the actual date of my return in Philippines. I told my boss, that my route will be Edmonton to Vancouver and then Vancouver to Manila. At first he never agreed because he thought at first that my route was Edmonton to Toronto and Toronto to Manila. After correcting his thoughts about my flight, he told me that he will think about it.
After few hours passed, my boss called me back and told me that he was going to make my travel a business official, because the team that I worked with has collaboration with the team in Vancouver, my visit becomes semi-business trip, because there were few days left and the only thing that I can do in Vancouver was to meet the team.
My last day in Edmonton was Thursday (June 12, 2008) and that was the same day my colleague celebrated the 10th year anniversary in the company and somewhat my farewell to the team as well.
When I came to Vancouver, I tried to plan ahead the five days that I spent in British Columbia.
While thinking of similarities of the place that I found in Alberta and British Columbia province in Canada, I realized that Victoria is the capital city of BC. In Edmonton there is Provincial Legislature Building and Victoria has it as well, Edmonton has Royal Museum and Victoria has it as well. Edmonton is capital city of Alberta and that’s what Victoria is in BC.
As part of my tour, after whale watching activity, we visited BC Royal Museum.
Here are some of photos I captured during my visit in the museum and some learned information during the tour.
Museum Entrance
1. Natural History Galleries (2nd Floor)
Within the Living Land Living Sea section of the museum displays the diverse geography of the province from prehistoric to present day.
Woolly Mammoth – popular in the museum which depicts the last line of mammoth species.
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Other living things displayed in the gallery
2. First People’s Galleries
(3rd Floor)
Pit House or The Kekuli – used as winter homes of the Aboriginal people of BC
Totem Gallery – shows the art style of the Coastal First Nations of BC.
House of/Big House – Jonathan Hunt House (Chief Kwakwabalasami of Fort Rupert)
Snow Shoe
4th Floor
Haida Canoe – was once used by Coast Salish people in Victoria’s Inner Harbour
3. Modern History Galleries
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(3rd Floor)
At Century Hall, some photos capture are the following:
Hats Through The Decades
1900s Cabinet – Typewriter
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1900s Cabinet Collection
1912 Model T Ford – An automobile during 1900
Livery – Where the blacksmith uses metal to bend, shape and cut. Based from information in the museum, the blacksmith main job are shoeing horses, making repairs for carriages and hiring horses and buggies
After more than half an hour of flight we arrived at Victoria harbour. Before going to whale watching adventure I did a quick walk in the area to see the beautiful place that I was at the moment. The inner harbour of Victoria City in Vancouver Island was lovely for me, though I saw a lot of boats, yachts ferries and docking stations, I still saw the beauty of its place. This was the first harbour that I saw that feels good. It seems there was a balance in the place.
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Victoria Inner Harbour Snapshots During My Walk
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Victoria Inner Harbour Snapshots while at Stellar boat on our way to Whale Watching Adventure
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Snapshots after returning to Victoria from Whale Watching Adventure
After coming back from Whale Watching Adventure, we arrived again at the inner harbour. I walk again in the area before we visited BC Royal Museum. As I saw the surroundings of the place, I felt I like it more and more, I was amazed with the settings and design of the harbour and thought that Vitoria City is the kind of place that I dreamed to live someday. During my walk at the harbour I did not miss to see Empress Hotel and BC Provincial Legislature Building.
After visiting the museum we went straight to The Butchart Gardens, and along the way I had a chance to capture some snapshots while we were driving at Beach Drive.
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Snapshots at Beach Drive in Victoria On Our Way To The Butchart Gardens
After I arrived in Victoria inner harbour through floatplane, my first scheduled activity was whale watching. From inner harbour airport of Victoria I was instructed where to go next so I can meet the group that I will be joining for whale watching. It was my first time to join such an adventure and I never seen a whale for real.
I arrived at the dock station where the whale watching tours that I will be joining was located. At first, I thought I am the only one in the tour because I haven’t seen much of people where I was standing. I met the guide for the whale watching adventure and then he gave me an overall uniform. At first I was confused why I need it, but when I saw other people in other boats wearing the same thing, I just followed as what instructed to me. Then, people coming by one group and another. When all of us were ready wearing our track suit and warm jumper uniforms, we hopped on the boat. I sat near the rear side of the boat. When every body were on boarded we almost filled up all the space in the boat. The next thing happened was, we started moving away from the harbour.
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Snapshots during whale watching
After few minutes passed and we had some distance from the harbour, our captain and tour guide in the boat gave us a warning to hold on tight which I did and then we hit the sea as if we were racing with another boat. Every time there’s a big wave our boat didn’t slow down and I knew that was one of drivers trick for us to made us feel we were like riding a roller coaster. Everyone seems enjoying it, I enjoyed it. While we were looking for the whale I also took the chance to look around the surroundings and took a quick snapshots. We moved from one place to another, still trying our luck to catch a glimpse of whales. It took us a while in the sea. And I estimated 30 to 40 meters from us, we saw whales, there were two whales that we saw. They showed their selves to us trice but it’s really quick, and for those times I was not lucky to take photo shots as we don’t knew when they going to appear again. But even that was the case I was still lucky to see them in their natural habitat, in the sea.
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Race Rocks Lighthouse and surrounding rock islands
After looking for whales, we went around the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Western part of Vancouver Island. I like the sceneries from the boat. Some shots that I got were looking towards Vancouver Island, while other shots looking towards USA as we were near at the border area. We also visited the Race Rocks Lighthouse were we found small islands and rock islands in the area before going back in Victoria harbour.
When I did Victoria and The Butchart Gardens tour, the last stop in our itinerary was The Butchart Gardens. After coming from Royal Museum in Victoria, we went straight to the garden. At first, I don’t really know what to expect in the garden which of course plants and flowers, but I had this high expectations because the garden is part of a tourist itinerary tour.
We arrived at the garden, I walked from the entrance, along the way I saw the gift store and I decided to look inside. While checking out things, I ended up shopping some souvenir stuff. When I got out the store I looked around, I immediately like the ambiance of the place then I passed the cafe and visitor centre. Next, I saw the big name of The Butchart Garden but I bypassed it as lot of people stopped in the area to take photos and I knew I it will take sometime before it cleared out with people, that’s why I decided to take photos once I’m done with the garden which I did before leaving the garden.
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I followed the track from the start point of the garden which starts from the big name “The Butchart Gardens”. Along the way, I saw Snail Fountain, Roses and Orchids until I saw the sign the direction of the Sunken Garden. The first part of the garden that I visited was the beautiful and amazing Sunken Garden. The view from the top was lovely. It’s like a magical garden place, it’s really a refreshing scenery.
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Sunken Garden
I went down as I was excited for what I saw, then I walked along some tracks in the Sunken Garden. I saw shrubs, towering trees and Quarry Lake where I got scenic photos of it. After reaching the corner side of the garden, I found the Ross Fountain. I spent few minutes in taking photos of Ross fountain and then continued strolling the garden until I saw a statue of woman.
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Ross Fountain
After enjoying my eyes in Sunken Garden, I moved to Rose Garden where I found a lot of beautiful and colorful flowers. I did a lot of up close and personal photos of some flowers that I found in the garden. There is a nearby fountain as well that I saw in Rose Garden and it’s called Sturgeon Fountain.
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At Rose Garden
Sturgeon Fountain
After enjoying the fountain view I continued my wandering in The Butchart Gardens until I entered in another type of garden called Japanese Garden. Here the design of the plants, trees , flowers and overall atmosphere in area was oriental and I amazed on the picturesque of the garden.
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At Japanese Garden
I kept my pace and move along until I saw the Star Pond which surrounded by flowers in its edges. Then, I walked again up to the Italian Garden.
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I was fascinated with my walk in the garden, beautiful and colorful flowers with green grass, plants and trees compliments each other made the garden even better. While inside I felt I were in a magical place and I felt I was a princess which lives in a wonderland, well that’s just for a moment.
Even I was tired from full and jam pack places that I had seen during my Whistler tour, I was still excited for another day tour just to see more of British Columbia. As I checked and compared tours available for Vancouver Island in the end I booked myself for Victoria and The Butchart Gardens which includes Whale Watching and Float Plane. The tour might be quite pricey compared with other Victoria tour but I wanted to experienced a lot and see a lot in one day as I am not sure if I will be given another chance to come back in Canada in the future.
From my hotel in Kingsway in Burnaby, I traveled to downtown of Vancouver by taking bus #19 from the nearest station in the hotel which is WB Kingsway FS Melbourne St and went off at EB W Pender St At Burrard St. From the bus station I walked towards Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre until I reached the station of the float plane that will bring me to Victoria in Vancouver Island and I flew to the island via Westcoast Air. I decided that time to choose the float plane instead of regular ferry that goes back and forth from Vancouver to Victoria so I can see the islands from the top on the way and to save time so I can spend the morning time in whale watching.
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At Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre
It was the first time that I took a float plane. From the station I met the other tourist, one were senior couple and one are middle age couple, then we introduced ourselves to each other but honestly I can’t remember their names. Traveling in a seaplane or floatplane was a challenge because I thought before we travel it will be the same with regular commercial plane that was silent but to my surprise it was not. The propeller sound from the front of the floatplane was quite loud and the plane was just small where all sounds around the plane can be heard inside. At first I was not comfortable but when we were at the top and I was able to see the Greater Vancouver, lots of islands, Vancouver Island and surrounding body of water which is Georgia Strait I felt excited and relieved . I just thought that even the sound was not so nice, I did enjoy the sceneries that I was able to view from the float plane.
Pit House or The Kekuli – used as winter homes of the Aboriginal people of BC
Totem Gallery – shows the art style of the Coastal First Nations of BC.
Hats Through The Decades
1900s Cabinet – Typewriter
Office
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